The Tomato Soup Revelation
by renisanz
Summary: He sighed and listed the symptoms he had noted over the last few days: slight weight gain, nausea, bouts of irritability that did not coincide with his documentation of her moods in relation to the point she was in her menstrual cycle.


**Title:** The Tomoato Soup Revelation**  
Author:** renisanz**  
Rating:** PG**  
Words:** 796**  
Spoilers:** None.**  
Notes:** For Paradox-O-Rama Fiction #1 paradox. Futurefic.

* * *

Two cans of tomato soup were set side by side in the pantry, in just the right proportion so that he would not have to brave the morning school traffic to replenish the supply. His fingers twitched a moment at the thought before he reached up and grabbed the two cans.

He went to laid out the ingredients for the grilled cheese sandwich.

"Sheldon?"

He whirred around, nearly crushing the slice of bread in his hand.

"Penny! What are you doing out of bed?" He dropped the bread on the counter. In three long steps, he was at her side. He grabbed her elbow, trying to turn her, lead her back to the bedroom and under the covers where she was supposed to be resting.

Penny pulled her arm out of his reach and planted her feet shoulder-width apart, standing her ground. "What's gotten into you? You're acting all weird. She waved her hand dismissively, "Weirder than usual."

"I've been doing no such thing. Your current state must have you delusional—" he said, taking her elbow and steering her back toward the bedroom.

Penny was silent as she let him lead her, which he took as acquiescence. "Wait," she tugged her arm away from him again. "What do you mean my 'current state'?"

She stood before him now, blocking his path. Sheldon tried to maintain eye contact, but could already feel his eye began to twitch.

He sighed and listed the symptoms he had noted over the last few days: slight weight gain, nausea, bouts of irritability that did not coincide with his documentation of her moods in relation to the point she was in her menstrual cycle. In the seven years he had known her it had never faltered.

"Sheldon." Penny's voice was soft as her hand rested on her forearm, drawing his focus.

"I found your tests. All three of them."

"Oh." Penny's eyes widened. "So . . . you know, huh?"

He nodded, unable to move his voice past the lump in his throat.

"Geez, Sheldon." Her fingers tightened around his arm. "I'm not dying or anything. I just wanted to be sure before. . . I have an appointment next week. I was gonna tell you after that."

"Why would you wait so long to tell me, Penny?"

She sighed, leaning her hip against the back of the sofa. "I don't know. Lots of reasons. I've never had to do this before, and I wanted it to be special. And then I got scared."

Sheldon's brow furrowed. "You were afraid to tell me?"

"No. _No_, sweetie. Not scared of telling you, but, you know. Things happen and I didn't want to get your hopes up. Didn't want to get _my_ hopes up. And I know this isn't the best time for you, but uhm... I guess mother nature had other plans."

"There's no such thing as Mother Nature."

"Just because I'm knocked up doesn't mean I can't still go Junior Rodeo on you, honey."

Sheldon gulped. Penny was the only woman who could be so beautiful while threatening to castrate a man. "Noted. However, having had adequate time to think on the matter, I could not imagine a better time."

"Really? Are _you_ ill?" She made to reached up to feel his forehead.

From her smirk he recognized the sarcasm, and narrowed his eyes at her barb. "Not in the least. You have just graduated college, and you have yet to secure a job in your field, while I am about to submit a grant proposal that, when accepted, will allow me to further my research that I know will change the way we see the universe. We are both in a period of transition, as it were. So, your condition—your pregnancy—while unexpected, comes at a time when we will be able to accommodate it into all the other changes will will have to make at this time. Giving the circumstances, I could not think of a better time."

Sheldon smiled down at his wife, and a second later her arms were around his neck, her mouth pressed against his, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. When she pulled back, her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

She sensed his alarm and explained, "I'm fine. It's just..." She sighed and kissed him again. "I'll go back to bed and you can finish making the soup which I hope hasn't burned by now." Sheldon whirled his head around to see steam rising from the pot he'd left on the burner. Or was that smoke.

"Oh, Good Lord—"

_finis._


End file.
